Compiled and Translated (portions taken from Sheikh ‘Ali Nasr Al-Faqeehi’s book on Bid’ah) by Abdulilah Lahmami

We all know of the many people who will be celebrating the Prophet’s birthday on the 12th Rabi Al-Awal and previously some spent all night specifying worshipping on 15th Sha’baan (Shababaraat). Likewise we have those who have strayed following the Sufi path writing weak articles in defence of these innovations saying, “what is the fuss about?”(Abu ‘Aliyah Surkheel Sherrif from his infamous website aiding the people of innovation). O Ahlu Sunnah, stick to the scholars of Ahlu Sunnah and hold on to the narrations (athaar) even if the people were to abandon you.

Alhamdulillah, the scholars of Ahlu Sunnah in this time are all in agreement that these are acts of innovations in the religion which are not permitted. Sheikh ‘Abdulaziz b.Baz, Sheikh Al-Albaani and Sheikh Ibn ‘Uthaimeen rahimahum Allaah all spoke against this innovation. Likewise, today Sheikh Saalih b. Fawzan Al-Fawzan, Sheikh ‘Rabee’ b. Haadi al-Madhkhali, Sheikh ‘AbdulMuhsin Al-‘Abbad, Sheikh ‘Ubayd Al-Jaabiri, (to name a few) have all spoken against this innovation in the religion. Let us see what the fuss is about from our beloved Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and his companions and those that followed them upon righteousness…

The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam did not celebrate his birthday nor did the Companions (may Allaah be pleased with them), neither the scholars in best three generations.

The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “Every Bid’ah is misguidance.” [Sahīh Sunan Abī Dawood no. 4607].

Imam Shatbi in his Fatawa (p.180-181) in explaining this hadeeth says: “This is taken upon its general meaning without an exception in anything being made at all and there is nothing in it that is considered to be good.”

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) said: “Indeed the most hated of affairs with Allaah is innovation.”[al-Laalikaai (1/132) Abu Nu’aim in Hulyah (7/26) and Baghawi in Sharh Sunnah (1/216)].

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said, “All bid’ah is misguidance even if the people see it as good.”[al-Laalikaai (126) Ibn Batta (205) Baihaqi in Madkhal ila Sunnan (191) ibn Nasr (70) with an authentic chain].

‘Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) said “Indeed the most hated of affairs with Allaah is innovation.”[al-Laalikaai (1/132) Abu Nu’aim in Hulyah (7/26) and Baghawi in Sharh Sunnah (1/216)].

Abu ‘Abdulrahman ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud saw a group of people making dhikr in a mosque in a way other that the way of the Prophete. They were saying Allaahu Akbar, Laa ilaaha ilal Laah, Subhana Allaah in a collective gathering so ‘Abdullah b. Mas’ud said to them, “Count your sins… Woe to you o nation of Muhammad! how quick you rush to destruction. These are the Companions of your Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) who are many in number and these are his clothes that have not worn out and his utensils haven’t broken, by the One whose Hands is my soul either you are upon a path better than the guidance of Muhammad e or you are opening a door to misguidance.” They said, “By Allaah, O Abu ‘Abdulrahman we only intended good.” He replied, “And how many people intend good and but don’t reach it.” [Sunan ad-Daarimi (1/67-69) with an authentic chain].

Naafi’ reported that a man sneezed by the side of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him and his father) and said, “All praise is due to Allaah and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger!” So Ibn ‘Umar said and I say All praise is due to Allaah and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger but this is not how the Messenger e taught us, rather he taught us to say “All praise is due to Allaah in all situations.”[Saheeh Sunan Tirmidhi 2738, Haakim 4/265-266, Mizi in Tahdeeb al-Kamal 6/553]

The religion is complete and nothing should be added to this perfect religion, Allaah said:

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا

“This day I have perfected your religion and completed My favour upon you and have made Islam pleasing as your religion.” [Maaidah: 3]

The scholar of Tafseer, Sheikh ‘Abdulrahman Al-Sa’di (rahimahullaah) said regarding this Verse, “the day referred to here is the day of Arafat where Allaah completed His religion and gave victory to His servant and Messenger…this is why the Book and the Sunnah are sufficient in the rulings of the religion, its fundamentals and branches.”

Imam Maalik (rahimahullaah) said, “Whoever innovates in Islam and sees it as good it is as if he claims that Muhammad e has deceived the Message because Allaah says, “This day I have perfected your religion and completed My favour upon you and have made Islam pleasing as your religion.” So what was not Islam then is not considered to be Islam today.” [Al-I’tisaam of Shaatbi (1/64)]

The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

(( من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو ردّ))

“Whoever introduces into our affairs that which is not from it, it will be rejected.” [Saheeh Al-Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim]

It is said to the innovators:

تعصي الإله وأنت تظهر حبه هذا لعمرك في القياس بديع
لو كان حبك صادقا لأطعته إن المحـب لمن يحب مطيـع

You disobey Allaah while showing outwardly that you love Him
This no doubt as an analogy is considered something new
If your love for Allaah were true then you would have obeyed him
The one who loves someone obeys them

The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

For whomsoever lives amongst you after me, will see many differences so upon you is to follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me. Stick to it and bite onto it with the molar teeth and be warned of the newly invented matters for verily every newly invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance.” Sahīh Sunan Abī Dawood no. 4607.

Imām ibn al-Qayyim (d.751H) رحمه الله mentioned, 

“It is known that the sinner only harms himself, as for the innovator (one who introduces new matters into the religion), then he harms many and his tribulation and harm is in the foundations of (a person’s) religion, whereas the tribulation of the sinner is in regards to his desires. As for the innovator, he lies in wait in order to block the people from the straight path, however the sinner is not like that. The innovator rejects the attributes of the Lord and His perfection and the sinner is not like that. The innovator contradicts what the Messenger came with and the sinner is not like that. The innovator cuts off the path to the Hereafter (Paradise) from the people and the sinner (only) delays his journey to (Paradise) due to his sins.”

[Ad-Daa’ wad-Dawaa’ pgs.331-332, Dār ‘Aalam al-Fawāid print, 2nd edition]

Imām ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) stated,

“The person who clings to the Sunnah has a living and illuminated heart, and the person of innovation has a dead and darkened heart.”

[[Ijtim’aa al-Juyush al-Islāmīyyah ‘alā harb Mu’attilah wal-Jahmīyah pg.11, Dār ‘Aalam al-Fawāid print, 2nd edition]

Imām ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) stated,

“Indeed, the Sunnah (of Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ) is the fortified fortress of Allāh, which cannot be penetrated, and the one who enters it, will be from those who are safeguarded (from deviation).”

[Ijtim’aa al-Juyush al-Islāmīyyah ‘alā harb Mu’attilah wal-Jahmīyah pg.10, Dār ‘Aalam al-Fawāid print, 2nd edition]

Shaykh Sālih Ibn Fawzān al-Fawzān (حفظه الله) said,

“Indeed the Salafi Jamā’ah (group) is the one that is upon the truth and it is the one which it is an obligation to adhere to, work with and ascribe oneself to and all other groups besides it must not be considered from the groups of d’awah (call to Islām).” 

[Al-Ijābaat al-Muhimmah, pg.55] 

Imām ‘Abdur Rahmān As-S’adee (رحمه الله) mentioned,

“Whenever the (Muslims) establish eemaan (faith) and righteous deeds, they will undoubtedly find what Allāh has promised them (of safety and security in the lands). And He only empowers the disbelievers and hypocrites over them, and sometimes enables them to triumph due to the shortcomings of the Muslims in eemaan and righteous deeds.”

[Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmān fee tafseer kalām al-Mannān pg.800, Surah an-Noor, verse 55, Dār al-Maiman print, 2nd edition]

Abdullāh ibn Muslim al-Marwazī narrates,

“I used to sit with Ibn Sīreen (in his circles of knowledge), and later abandoned doing so, and began to sit with the ‘Ibādeeyah (a deviated sect from the Khawārij). I then saw in a dream that I was with a people who were carrying the funeral of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). I went to Ibn Sīreen and informed him (of the dream). He said,

“What is the matter with you, you sit with a people who wish to bury what the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) came with!””

[Siyar ‘Alaam an-Nubalā, vol.4, pg.617, Resalah Publishers, 2nd edition]

Al-Qurtubī رحمه الله (d.671AH) mentioned, 

“And that which the majority of the scholars are upon is that being patient in obedience (in that which is permissible) to the tyrant and oppressive ruler is better than going out against him. That is because contesting him and going out against him will result in peace and security being replaced with fear, bloodshed, the free roaming of the foolish and ignorant people (to wreak havoc), launching of attacks upon the Muslims, and corruption upon the earth.”

[Tafseer al-Qurtubī, vol.2, pg.370, Resalah Publishers, 1st edition]

Al-‘Allāmah ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Abdur Rahmān Abā Butayn رحمه الله (d.1282AH) mentioned, 

“As for As-Subhah (tasbeeh beads), there is no doubt that they are not legislated, and that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) without doubt did not have these beads, and he would count the tasbeeh (saying Subhān Allāh, Alhamdulillāh, Allāhu Akbar, etc) with his hand, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم), and the worst affairs are the newly invented matters (in the religion), and every innovation (in the religion) is a misguidance.”

Ibn Mas’oud (رضي الله عنه) saw a woman who had something to count the tasbeeh with, so he tore it and threw it away.

Also, to use beads openly is from showing off, and showing off is abhorrent when done with a legislated action, so how about if that action is not even legislated!

And Allāh, The Exalted and Most High knows best.

[Majm’ū Fatāwā wa rasāil li-Shaykh, al-‘Allāmah ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Abdur Rahmān Abā Butayn, pg.387, Maktabah Dār al-Minhāj print, 1st edition]